


Walking Behind

by Roguesyrene



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-02
Updated: 2016-09-29
Packaged: 2018-07-11 20:35:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7069066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roguesyrene/pseuds/Roguesyrene
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Time was never kind to John Noble and Rose Tyler, one always seemed to walking behind the other, never able to catch up and walk together hand in hand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Had to get this out of my head it will go back and forth between the Doctor and Rose. it will be very short I'm not good at writing long parts. No beta please feel free to correct anything on it and let me know I can change it. Enjoy!

John Noble always thought that he met Rose Tyler just a few weeks too late. Time never did seem to be on his side. 

She was working at the coffee shop when they met and he was harried and stressed university student forever working on his never ending projects towards his thesis. For a genius he was disorganized and had trouble focusing on one thing at time always bouncing from this to that in a manic fashion. She was like a golden goddess who swooped in and help him sort it and focus remind him of who he was and what he was working towards. They soon became inseparable, her quitting that job that she was far to smart for to be his assistant and him working towards his future. 

He fell in love with her, how could he not she was perfect like he had been made just for her, but like John had found out so many times before the universe can be cruel place. Not three days before John and Rose had met she had said yes to marrying her high school sweetheart Mickey Smith. Rose Tyler was not someone who took promises lightly and she had promised herself to Mickey and there was nothing well short of building some sort of time machine that John could do about it. Her respected and loved her too much to ever get in the way of her relationship. 

They worked together for two year finishing and tweaking all his projects into completion. It was the best years he could ever remember they were an amazing team. In reality it could have been done in less but he was selfish and would take all the time with Rose he could. When he was finished he was going to travel the world and try to make it a better place one stop at a time. He begged for Rose to come with him see world, hell she could even bring Mickey anything so they could have more time together. Rose couldn’t Mickey had a good paying job and he really wanted her to settle down after the wedding so they could have a family and stop all her nonsense with John. 

He had done it, he was finally done it, doctorate in hand he was ready to take on the world all the was left was to say goodbye to Rose. He never did like goodbye he was terrible at them. 

John knocked on the door to her flat. He heard her yell that she was coming and he heard a crash and whole lot of cursing. He flung open the door ready to spring into action when he found her sprawled out on the floor wrapped up in her wedding dress. Face red and feet tangled together she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. 

“Are you just going to stare at me or are you going to help?” she asked. 

He was motionless for a moment before he scrambled over to help her to her feet. He watched as she smoothed out the dress making sure it was alright before she turned to face him. 

His eyes met hers and he kissed her. It was long kiss and he poured all the love he had for her into it. When she pulled away he looked into her eyes as she began to speak, and coward that he was he turned and ran and It felt like he had been running ever since.  
He left that night emptied out his office he left her a note. He couldn’t bare to see rejection on her lovely face so he wrote it all down so if she did ever come looking for him at least she would understand why he had to leave he couldn't watch her live the life he wanted with her with someone else. 

From that day on he didn’t stay put very long he met people here and there that helped him with his work a wonderful medical student, a very bossy Redhead and so many others. 

He stayed in France too long where he met very skilled young women he flirted with her and she flirted back. It was nice to fill the hole in his heart for awhile. She made him feel wanted and important like Rose. Sadly even the love of another could only numb the pain and after night of too many banana daiquiri and his unstoppable gob he awoke to himself alone once again. 

Jealousy can be a terrible thing and time was unkind to John. When his heartbroken lover returned to his place to collect her thing she saw the telltale light a of the message on his machine she pressed play and listened with a bitter heart as a voice filled the room. 

“John? Doctor? I hope this is the right number I’ve been looking for you it’s well you know who it is if this in fact the right number it’s Rose, please I need to ta..” 

Jealously is a powerful emotion, and it erased the message.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

Comfortable that was how Rose Tyler would have described her life. Like that old sofa in the basement that your know you should get rid of but when you sit down on it you never want to get up again. Rose never found the comfort bad or unwelcomed it was just there it surround her getting off the sofa was never something that had occurred to Rose. She lived on the council estates with her Mum, work at the coffee shop and dated Mickey. Life was simple and that was okay for Rose, she had a job, and steady boyfriend who treated better than the last one had. 

The day that Mickey proposed to her was perhaps the first time that Rose had question her life and whether or not she was meant for more than life she had. She said yes of course but as she ran back to flat to tell her Mum and show her the ring it occurred to her that this was her future. She would move in Mickey's place that had been his grandmother's they would have children and that would be life, on the estates, only a few door down from her Mum. The sofa had started to itch and Rose was having trouble getting comfortable. 

The itching only got worse when wild haired man entered her life and swept her up in his storm.  
When she met John or Doctor as she started to call him because it seems like he was forever working towards his doctorate. Rose came alive when she was talking to the Doctor he didn't talk down to her like other people did when they found out where she was from. He listened and seemed to real value her opinion he always told her that she was like the shiver to his shake. Soon he convinced her to quit her job and come and work for him as his assistant, he paid her way too much in her opinion, but he said it was only money he had a lot from the loss of his family and knew she had a wedding coming up so he wouldn’t take no for an answer. They fell into a wonderful routine, working with the Doctor was the best thing that had ever happened to her. 

Her Mum thought that her work with the Doctor was giving her air and graces. Rose talked about going back to school and getting her A levels. Her Mum Jackie would remind her that she had a wedding to plan and from what that man was paying her she wouldn’t need to work again, she could just stay home with her kids. Mickey on the other hand was fine with Rose working for the Doctor it gave him more time to hang out with his mates and watch the games down at the local pub. Rose wore his ring on her fingers and always came home to him at the end of the day she didn’t pester him to take her out or help with wedding plans Mickey was comfortable. 

Rose knew the Doctor would be done his work soon and off to see the world. She would have liked to go with him but Mickey couldn’t and she knew if she left with the Doctor she would never come home again. Rose was very itchy now and wondered why she had ever sat on that sofa in the first place. 

She planned the wedding so the Doctor could attend before he left on his adventure. Rose longed to go but she had made a promise to Mickey and she knew she couldn't break it, sometimes she wished that she had met the Doctor before she had agreed to marry Mickey. 

The Doctor was now actually a doctor Rose was happy and sad at the same time. Her time with him had come to an end. Rose let out a heavy sigh as she looked in the mirror she thought trying on her wedding dress might cheer her up. She gave a quick spin it really was a beautiful dress it made her feel like a princess. 

“Mrs. Mickey Smith.” she said as she wrinkled her nose it didn’t sound quite right. 

“ Mickey and Rose Smith?” No that sounded worse her eyes caught a photo of her and the Doctor in the background. 

“The Doctor and Rose Noble.” She smiled it sounded perfect, her eyes began to water how had that happened, when did it happen. When did she fall in love with the Doctor. She heard a knock at the door her face flushed like she had been caught doing something wrong she hollered that she was coming and then promptly tripped over her wedding dress. She heard the door open it was the Doctor she felt her whole body flush. 

“Are you just going to stare at me or are you going to help?” she asked.  
The Doctor hesitated and then helped her to her feet, she started to fuss with the dress not sure that she could even bare to look at him. When she finally did it happened, he kissed her. Rose had kissed plenty of boy but none ever made her feel like this. Mickey’s kisse..with that thought her eyes flew open and she pushed the Doctor away. No she could do this to Mickey she had made a promise if she was going to start anything with the Doctor it would have to be after she had a talk with Mickey. She opened her mouth to speak but before she could utter a word he turned and ran. She called after him but it was too late he was gone and her heavy gown made it impossible to follow him. She sank to the floor trying to remember when it was she fell out of love with Mickey and into love with the Doctor. It had been slow and she hadn’t even realized it had happened until she imaged her life without him. Wiping her tears she knew what she had to do. 

Talking to Mickey was hard maybe even then the hardest thing she had ever done but in the end they both agreed that they had stopped working a long time ago, they both had just been too comfortable to realize it.Her next stop was the Doctor’s office she knew when he was upset that he would bury himself in work to distract himself, but when she got there is was empty. The only thing that was left was a envelope with her name on it. 

_My Dearest Rose,_

_I’m sorry I’m so so sorry for how I acted earlier I had no right to do what I did, I respect you too much to have done that. It was a moment of weakness and I fear if I stay here much longer I will have many more and I could never hurt you like that._

_I can’t stay here and watch you marry him so I’m leaving. I want you to be happy and live a good life. I wish I had met you first then maybe things would be different it would be me you go home to, my ring you wear on your finger but it's not. It seems to be the story of my life though isn’t I’m always just that bit too late maybe I’m not meant for happiness._

_Good-Bye Rose Tyler, I love you._

_Doctor_

The note and cheque for her last month of pay where all that was in the envelope, he was gone and she had no way to find him no way to tell him how she felt. 

After that day Rose fell into a dark mood that she could never really shake, she had numerous unpleasant call to make about her wedding that was no longer taking place went and she had gone back to her job at the coffee shop. Rose felt empty inside, her warm smiles and kind eyes reflected her mood, until one day her Mum snapped at her. She told her Tyler women were stronger then this and that they don’t give up if the Doctor was who she wanted then she needed to stop moping about and go get him. Jackie handed her a piece of paper with a number on it, she had done some digging and the Doctor was in France and was fairly certain could reach him at that number. Her fingers trembled as she dialed the number it rang until she heard it tell her to leave a message. 

“John? Doctor? I hope this is the right number I’ve been looking for you it’s well you know who it is if this in fact the right number it’s Rose, please I need to talk to you, I didn't do it I didn’t marry Mickey I know this is not the right place to say it but I love you Doctor and if you still feel that same about please call me back. I’ll be waiting.”

She let a huge breathe out as she hung up the phone and she felt a knot in her throat, it was going to be okay he would call and they could finally be together. 

The knot in Rose throat got tighter as the weeks past and she heard nothing from the Doctor. She had her answer she was too late. She thought about what her Mum said Tyler women are strong so she quit her job and decided to run just like the Doctor had maybe if she ran hard enough and far enough way she could get over him like he got over her. So she packed up everything she could carry and left London to see the world and heal a broken heart.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

Paris had been a mistake trying to fill a void in him left by Rose was impossible, John noble would never love again. He knew that now too many people got hurt if he got attached he was better off on his own. So he continued to travel trying to make the world a better place, sometimes the ghost of Rose would haunt him in a crowded market place he would catch a glimpse of blonde hair and his heart would soar before he remembered that was impossible she at home in London with Mickey. 

Time passed he had been alone too long seen too much of the world he became bitter at it and all it’s troubles. Years passed and the man he was began to fade, helping people seemed almost pointless it never did any good. How could one man make a difference? What a fool he was he was ready to give up but the thought of going back to London was almost less appealing. Time was still against him no matter how much time he let pass he couldn't seem to stop loving Rose. It was in this state of mind that he happened upon Mickey Smith kissing a women who certainly not Rose. 

He saw red how could he do this to Rose his wife! He charged toward then startling the couple apart. 

“Hey Boss” Mickey started “Long time no s..” was all Mickey got out before the Doctor tried to tackle. Mickey stumble back but the Doctor wasn’t done. 

“How could you!” he yelled at Mickey, but Mickey was no push over and held the Doctor back he could see the rage and fire in the other man eyes. 

“Easy Mate! How could I what?” he said trying to calm down the enraged man. 

“Cheat on Rose with this..this…” he sputtered trying to break free of Mickey’s hold.

“Oy!” Shouted the women “If he cheating on anyone it would be me, seen as I’m his wife and all.”

“What?” the Doctor said as the fire died in his eyes and he looked between the two of them. “What?” he repeated. 

Mickey lead them to small cafe nearby and introduced the Doctor to his wife Martha Jones-Smith. It seems that they were on their honeymoon. Mickey then went on to tell the Doctor that he never married Rose she had called the wedding off the night he left. Feeling foolish the Doctor apologized to the couple. Martha was not as forgiving as Mickey was but when they finished talking they were parting as uneasy friends. Just as the Doctor was leaving he felt Mickey grab his shoulder. 

“She loved you, you know she never outright said to me, but I knew it was part of the reason we called off the wedding. Don’t get me wrong I’m glad we did Martha is the love of life I would do anything for her. But Rose, Rose is one of kind I’m just sorry you two never got your chance.” 

With those parting word Mickey was gone. The Doctor heart was beating wildly in his chest. Could Mickey be right did Rose have feeling for him? His chest ached to find out, maybe it wasn’t too late hope filled him as he ran to train station to buy a one way ticket to London. 

Time was a standstill as he rode the train, when it finally reached it’s destination. The Doctor hit the platform running all the way to the Tyler’s front door. He took the steps two at time he was sure he was all read sweaty from the run but he didn’t care he had to see to her now. He knocked on door and when he did the it pushed open. He called out for Rose or Jackie and much to his dismay the place was empty. The world drained of colour and the only sound he could hear was his own ragged breath.

“No, no, no, no.” 

His hands flew to his hair he tugged on the ends. Gone. She was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

Rose’s favorite thing about traveling was the story she would hear from the local people and the wonderful feeling that she got inside from helping out. Her least favorite part was that everything seemed to remind her of the Doctor, sometimes he been where she was and she would hear stories about him, sometimes she thought that she saw him but he would always vanish before you could check to see if it really was him. The truth was she missed him terribly not just because of the ache in her heart but because of his friendship, his advice, his unfounded faith in her. When she was with him she thought everything was possible, now sometimes even though she vowed to be strong and not give up she longed to hear his voice telling her that he believed in her. The memory of him while it seemed to haunt it also kept her going. 

Rose had only been traveling a few month when she found herself in France, she had never been before and was drinking in everything around, when she heard the someone mention the Doctor’s name. Curiosity and hope got the better of Rose as she approached the group of people. She introduced herself and apologized for interrupting them and asked them how they knew the Doctor. The blonde in the group narrowed her eyes, as jealous won out yet again. 

“Oh John is just an angel, My Angel. We worked very closely together when he was her in France, very closely, we talk all the time and he come to visit me as often as he can manage. Where do you know my dear John from?” asked the blonde 

Rose felt the the tears well in her eyes as the blonde fixed her eyes on her. Rose would not cry she was stronger than that. 

“Oh we just used to work together.” She managed to get out.”If you will excuse me.” Rose turn the fled in as dignified a manner as you could 

The blonde smirked as she watched Rose leave, no one rejected her. 

That night Rose cried more tears then she thought she had. Of course he didn’t return her call why would when he had someone like her, she was everything that Rose wasn’t. As she dried her eyes later that night she decided that she was done with love, there was no one else her now that the Doctor was taken. Now she knew how he must have felt watching her be with Mickey she understood why he left and following his lead she continued to run, she would never return to France though. 

They years passed quickly when you travel and on her last trip home to she her mother she announced that she getting remarried. Rose was overjoyed for her mother as she had been alone since her father had died. For first time in quite awhile Rose spent some time in London helping her mother get ready for the wedding and packing up the flat she had lived in her whole life. It was a lovely service and her Mum was so happy with Howard, it gave Rose hope maybe one day she could love again. After the wedding she hugged her Mum goodbye promising to try to come home more often, and she was off.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

As John chanted no the door to the flat creaked open and middle aged woman popped her head in. 

“They've gone luv, left months ago.” she said “I remember always hanging about with Rose.”  
“Do you know where they went?” he asked the desperation seeping into his voice. 

“Jackie up got married up to some posh bloke and Rose well…”

“Yes? Yes?” John urged.

“She’s been gone for years now, off to see the world.”

John’s heart leaped and fell all at once his Rose out in the world like she wanted to be, like him. John eyes filled with tears. 

“Quite right too.” he gave the lady a watery smile. “You wouldn’t know where I could find Jackie I have something to give Rose.”

Much to John’s relief she did have Jackie’s address and John took off again. Jackie would know how to contact Rose, he would find her and then at long last they would be together even if it was just as friend, he didn’t like the man he became without her.

John hurried up to Jackie door and gave a loud knock, the door opened and then pain erupted in the side of his face. Jackie Tyler fixed her eyes on the Doctor. 

“Oy, you've got some nerve coming round here.” she raised her hand to slap him again as the doctor scrambled away. 

“Treating my Rose the way you did. After she pour her heart out to you in that message, you couldn’t even call her back she had to find out from that, that french tart or yours that you moved on.” 

Jackie got another slap in as the Doctor threw his hands up in surrender. He was so confused what on earth was Jackie talking about message? French tart?

“Jackie, Jackie! Stop I don’t know what you are talking about what message?”

“The phone message she left you. Telling you that she loved you! You stupid twit.” he could tell that she wanted to hit him again. 

“I never got any such message if I did I would have call her, Jackie I love you daughter and I have since the moment I met her please explain. “

Jackie Tyler was a fierce protector and nothing meant more to her then Rose. She looked closely at John she could see that he wasn’t the same man, reluctantly she invited him in (after she promised not to slap him again) and she told the Doctor about the phone and the blonde in France. Once she mentioned the blonde he knew who she meant and he explained his side of the story. Jackie saw that look in John’s eyes and she knew what he was telling her was the truth, but she was still Rose’s Mum and wanted to protect her too. So she made him a deal next time Rose got in touch with her she would tell her John’s side of the story and if and only if she wanted to then Jackie would give Rose the Doctor’s number and then they could talk. If wasn’t ideal but it was more John had in a long time it was hope. He bid Jackie goodbye and began to aimlessly wander the street of London until he found himself at the airport. He bought himself on ticket on the plane leaving the airport as soon as possible and then went in search of something to read while he waited.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last one for today.

Chapter 6

Rose was mad her last trip had not turned out how she had hoped it would things were too far gone and there wasn't much that she could do. She hated feeling like this like she failed. The Doctor wouldn't of failed she thought to herself. She had to stop thinking like that the Doctor would also know that sometimes not everybody lives. Rose's heart was just too big. To make matter wrose her flight had been rerouted to London instead of her original destination there was a bad storm in air. Now she was stuck at the airport for the conceivable future. She knew she should go and see her Mum while she was in the area but her current mood wouldn't make her the best of company. She rummaged through her bag looking for a distraction and came up empty handed, so she headed towards the bookshop to see if she could find something to read.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wrote this kinda checked it over sorry for any mistakes I just really wanna finish this story. My grammar and spelling suck.

Rose wandered up and down the aisles of the bookstore trying to chase away her foul mood. It wasn't working, nothing in the store was appealing to her until she caught a glimpse of messy brown hair over the top of one of the the bookshelves. She felt her plus quicken as she flatten herself against the shelf. 

It couldn't be she thought. What were the odds after all these years. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself before she dared to peek around the shelf.

With a deep breath and her eyes closed Rose moved to see if it was really him. She opened her eyes one at a time and there he was her Doctor. He still looked the same from his beat up shoes to his long coat. She drank in the site of him. Her heart swelled and she longed to reach out and slide her hand into his and finally feel whole, when the image of a smug blonde popped into her head.

No she thought I can't see him reject her or see pity in his eyes. Her last memory of him was far from perfect but it would be better then rejection. She took one last look and slowly started to back away he wasn't her doctor anymore. He belongs to someone else.

Time had never been kind to the Doctor but fate as it turns out had just been waiting because fate can only do so much without the right timing.

That timing came when Rose Tyler walked backwards in to a display of book causing her to yelp loudly and fall to the ground.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again just wrote this quick.

The Doctor had never been good at waiting, but for Rose he would probably wait until the end of time. 

He shuffled up and down the rows at looked as though he was browsing though the book but in truth all he could think of was Rose Tyler and if he would get to see her again. 

He picked up a book here and there reading the little blurb on the back. They all seemed the same, oldest story in the universe. This one or any other. Boy and girl fall in love, get separated by events–war, politics, accidents in time. She’s thrown out of the hex or he’s thrown into it. Since then they’ve been yearning for each other across time and space. except they all hit closer to home now. He was living the story. So many little things on their path had kept him and Rose apart would they ever be able to work though it all and find happiness. He had hope it filled the ache in his chest it felt good after so many hopeless years wandering the earth. He smiled to himself, Jackie would tell her and then she would find him she just had to. 

A loud yelp and crash pull him from his thoughts, it sounded like a women had fallen so he rushed over to help.

He rounded the corner and they in a pile of back rubbing her backside sat Rose Tyler. He eyes widen in shock as she looked at him. John must have blinked a hundred times to make she his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. he might have even said What? outloud a few times but he couldn't be certain because all he could hear was her voice as it asked a question and took him back. 

“Are you just going to stare at me or are you going to help?” she asked.

John quickly offered Rose his hands and pulled her to her feet. 

The urge to kiss her senseless was strong but that hadn't worked so well for him the past. 

There were so many things he wanted to say to her. Tell her he loves her and has since the moment they met. Ask her about he travels. Ask how she is. Tell her he ran in to Mickey. Tell her he loves her. But instead he blurts out. 

"Reinette meant nothing to me and we are not together!" in a voice far too loud for how close together they are standing. Rose eyes get even bigger, as he hangs his head. How could yell that at her what is wrong with him. That it he ruined it he has ruined everything. Oh God how could he be so stupid.. Rose's hand lifting his chin up to look at her stop his thoughts in their tracks. 

Her eyes are watery and showed that she is not a confident as he thought she was. She held up her left hand for him see and half smiles at him. 

"I didn't do it. I didn't marry Mickey. I couldn't.." John lips were on hers before she could finish her sentence. Rose wrapped her arms around him pulling him as close of she could. Their lips moved together like they were made for each other. John wished at that he didn't need to breathe because he never wanted to stop kissing her.

The Doctor and Rose together at last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more then this story is done.


End file.
